


One Red Sparrow

by RoseGoldRabbit



Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: Dianakko Week, Dianakko Week 2020, F/F, Fantasy, Goodness this took far too long!, I hope you all enjoy this!, Samurai/Knights AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:28:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26147947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoseGoldRabbit/pseuds/RoseGoldRabbit
Summary: Atsuko Kagari, daughter of the emperor, has lived her whole life in war. On the battlefield she's known as a deadly Onna-bugeisha, feared for her ferocity and cunning in battle. And though she's fought and killed for her land, she finds herself growing more and tired with each battle. But as the years move on she finds herself growing continuously more frustrated with the Shogunate. Unable to stand by any longer she sets out with her forces to end the whole ordeal herself.Diana Cavendish is a knight, fighting in the name of her ancestors. She seeks an end to the battle that her country had begun long ago. And though war is all she's ever know, and prestige and glory was all she was ever taught to seek, perhaps she will find something more valuable on the battlefield.
Relationships: Diana Cavendish/Atsuko "Akko" Kagari
Comments: 2
Kudos: 44





	One Red Sparrow

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone, this is fairly late, sorry about that! But I'm very excited for today and tomorrow's prompts! Tomorrow's will be a continuation of this one, I hope that you'll enjoy! 
> 
> Also, I'd like to thank Shmehua1 for letting me steal a little something from her story, Atlas, you'll know when you see it. She also recommended a few names for this story and I would like to present them to you all because they are horrible. They'll be in the end notes.

The moon crested high in it’s arch over the small encampment. It’s gentle light covered the snowy field below in an almost ethereal glow as a lone woman gazed at the stars from outside the opening of her tent. Clad in her sleepwear, the red flowers of the yukata she wore a bright contrast to the almost monochrome surrounds, and her long brown hair let down and flowing over her shoulders. Her hands rested peacefully at her side, one hanging down leisurely and the other gently resting atop the kashira of the upper most of the two swords held in her obe wrapped around her waist.

She had always liked the stars, but tonight felt special. Times had been changing recently, in ways both good and bad, but those changes seemed so rapid as of late, and because of this a great weight came to rest on her shoulders. Atsuko Kagari, the eldest daughter of the emperor spared just a moment, one of very few and rare times in her life for nothing but watching and listening. For nothing but to feel the cold bite of the wind even through the thick fabric she wore, and enjoy the moment of peace. Peace… 

Peace was not something that the girl had ever really known. The war had begun early in her life, technically it had begun even before she was born, but back then it had been nothing but small skirmishes. A few disgruntled farmers here, an overzealous Daimyo who wanted a bit more power over there, maybe the neighboring country would poke it’s way into their territory on a special occasion. But it couldn’t compare to the bloodshed that had begun on her fifth birthday. What they had thought had been nothing more than a few small farmers taking up arms against local lords turned out to be something much larger. A few of the attacks from their neighbors that weren’t taken credit for, well... the majority turned out to be something much worse. A country, from far afield, had set their sights on her home. 

And on the day of her fifth, halfway through the party her mother had arranged for her, the first fields of battle had been soaked in blood. A surprise attack marked the beginning, a massacre of blood and steel, and arrows that blot out the sky. First it began in just the outlying territories but by the days end, the entire continent had been engulfed in horrible war. The same war that had taken her brother… And now, so many years later, that war would be coming to a close soon. If she played her cards right, then it could end as early as tomorrow. But, it would not end in their victory.

“You’re going to catch a cold, tulala ka.” But it seems all moments must come to an end, and the end of her moment of wistful star gazing was marked by the feeling of a warm, cloth like sensation hitting her in the side of the head. “Put that on before you catch your death out here, ‘Crimson Demon’.”

Akko gently removed the cloth from her face, which turned out to be a shawl of some kind, and turned to face the source of the voice she’d grown to know well in recent years. Sucy. The witch strode over to her, also clad in nightwear, but of a different form than any that Akko was accustomed to. She was approaching form her and Lotte’s shared tent on the other end of their encampment, the unusual puce coloring of her hair was barely noticeable with how the moonlight reflected off of it, and her one visible eye gave no sign of what she was actually feeling emotionally wise. 

Normally Akko would react more to being hit in the face while enjoying the quiet, maybe stick out her tongue and throw back a retort to being called what she could only assume was some variation of an idiot. But tonight was different. So instead she wrapped the offered shawl around her shoulders, appreciating the slight warmth that it provided, and turned her attention back to the sky. 

She had always felt a connection to the stars. Like something from beyond that great sea of light was calling for her, drawing her deeper and deeper into its depth to envelope her in it’s comforting vastness. A great ocean of light, and a great source of comfort for her on some of her hardest days. And even now, she found some of her greatest inspiration in it’s lights. But sadly, she could not revel in their comfort forever. She had work to do, and so it seemed her time with the stars must come to an end. Who could tell though… perhaps, at the end of this all, she may find herself in their embrace. 

This whole while, Sucy hadn’t said a word. She knew her friend well enough not to at the moment. There were very few moments when the girl ever got some rest, even fewer where it was voluntary, so she wouldn’t dare to interrupt this one. She simply waited, leaning against a tall barrel filled with provisions that had been set up next to Atsuko’s tent. But after a moment more of gazing at the stars, Akko turned to her, a gentle smile on her face.

“Thank you, Sucy.” Sucy’s response was a short and silent nod, waiting because she knew Akko had more to say. “The stars are always so lovely, but tonight, they seem to really be alive.” The smile remained on her lips as she turned back to face the stars, but her eyes no longer retained the mirth that Akko had been known so well for. Another rarity, when she would let the happy, unflappable facade fall. Truly tonight was a night of wonders.

Sucy had seen many wonders in recent times, ever since Akko had pulled her out of her coven all those years ago. At first they hadn't gotten along, but now, Sucy would go to the ends of the earth and back again for her friends.

“You're nervous.” Sucy never was one to mince words, at least, not when she felt there was something that needed to be said. 

“ _Pft,_ ” Akko let out a small snort of laughter, smothering any further giggles before they could surface, “Well, you’ve always said that I can’t hide things from you… Yes, I’m nervous. By this time tomorrow, if we do this right, we can end everything… more than twenty years of war and bloodshed. Over.” Akko’s face fell to a somber smile, replacing the brief moment of laughter that she had enjoyed.

“But…” There was always something more to these kinds of things, you didn’t need a witches eyes to figure that out. And of course, they all already knew… “Everyone here knows what has to happen Akko. We’re all prepared for what comes next.”

A beat of silence as Akko looked directly into Sucy’s eye, the regret dripping from her features. And finally a sad smile crept it’s way onto her face. “I know. I just wish things were different.”

“Everyone wishes that things were different… Everyone wishes for something. ‘But you don’t get the things you wish for-’”

“‘-You get the things you work for.’” How fitting, for those words Akko had heard all those years ago, to come back now. Honestly, Sucy’s wit was sharp as ever. But using that phrase against her was just a bit cruel.

Both women turned to face the sky, Akko to get one last glimpse of her beloved stars and Sucy, to try and find what her friend saw in them. “We should both turn in for tonight.” Akko turned to head back into her tent as she spoke. “We leave first thing in the morning. Try and get some sleep, the both of you.”

“You’re moving me… Aren’t you.” She spoke before Akko could retreat full back into her tent. It wasn’t a question. Sucy was already well aware of what her friend had planned. 

Akko paused at the entrance to her temporary abode, turning her head ever so slightly to gaze back at the witch, but she didn’t meet her eyes. The pause was followed by a deep sigh before speaking, “Yes, I’m moving your position to the outskirts of the battle, you’ll be guarding the medic’s camp.”

“And why in the hell would you do that?” The was a growl, to the tone of her voice as she spoke. Embedded in each word a deep anger, even though on the surface she appeared only ever so slightly irritated. “I should be on the front, helping to keep you alive you idiot!” 

Akko didn’t reply, she didn’t even turn to face Sucy, and this is what really made her lose control. “WHat, do you plan on going off to die without us!? You just want to leave me and Lotte behind so you can go run off and play the martyr!” Once again, no response. “You selfish littl-”

“I know about Lotte.” It was short and final. No accusation, no room for questioning what she meant. And it’s now that she turned to face the witch. “I’m happy for you. For you both, I really am. But we _have_ to lose this battle tomorrow.”

She knew that. Sucy knew that, everyone here knew that! So why couldn’t Akko let her protect her? “Do you think I don’t know that?” Sucy’s voice came out little more than a spite filled growl. “I said it before, we all know what needs to happen tomorrow. Besides, they’ll outnumber us fifty to one.” Sucy covered the meter or two distance between them in a few brisk steps, placing her hand on her friend's shoulder as she spoke. “So let me stay with you. I’ve already lost everything I had once, I can’t lose it all again.”

Sucy had never been one for showing too much emotion, ever since Akko met her the only way to tell when she was upset or happy or anything in between were the small little things she would do. But now, it was very present on her countenance. Out in the open for the whole world to see, even if it was still fairly close to her regularly aloof face. Tonight was a night for miracles indeed… But still, her mind couldn’t be changed.

“You won’t.” She removed the girl's hand from her shoulder, grasping it in her own as she took the other as well. “You’ll still have Lotte. And even then, your daughter still… I don’t know how you pulled it off, but you’ll have her. You both will. And beside, your girl will need you around.”

“...You idiot… I'm a witch, remember…” There was a brief pause as Sucy searched Akko’s eyes, staring into calm rubies as they reflected the moonlight. “I don’t even know how you found out about that.” There was still a bit of emotion in her voice, but only enough that someone like Akko or Lotte would notice.

“What, did you forget?” Akko let go of one of Sucy’s hands to gesture to her eyes once a deep brown, they now shone a crimson red similar in color to Sucy’s own eyes. “You were the one who gave me these after all, what with all of your experiments on me back when we first met.”

That did bring back good memories, ones that Sucy smiled at as she remembered a particularly interesting experiment. “You better not be thinking about that stupid tree incident!” There was indignation in Akko’s voice as she pouted at her friend. “That was so embarrassing! They still haven’t fixed my old room back at the palace!”

It was a welcomed bit of levity, but one that she knew couldn't keep the truth at bay. After all so few things really can. And so Sucy disconnected their hands and took a step back. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” And now she turned to begin her way back to her tent. But not without a few words.

“I know that you think you need to die for this to work but please, at least try to stay alive.”

“... I’ll make an effort. But I don’t know if I can. The Daimyos are overconfident, and stubborn. They won’t give up over one lost battle, or even a hundred… This war has gone on long enough and we’re so close to an end, but without something to wake them up from their delusions it won’t Stop! Not until this entire country is burned to the ground. And that’s nothing compared to that damned Shogun!” Akko gestured wildly with her arms now, anger visible in her body language.

“And you think that they’ll back off if the ‘Crimson Demon’ dies? How do you know that it’ll work, how can you be certain?” 

“I can’t be… But they call me ‘the greatest Rikugun-Taishō in generations, they send us to all the hopeless battles, all these lost causes hoping that we’ll somehow find a way. And we’ve won… Every single time…” Akko spun around wildly, her voice increasing in volume just enough to show her frustration. “I need them to see that this war can’t be won! I need the Shogunate to see! So if I fall tomorrow, maybe they’ll accept my father’s proposal to accept the peace treaty. At least, I have to hope they will. Because I can’t do this anymore Sucy… I’m so tired of all this fighting…” 

“... Okay. If this is what needs to happen. Just promise me that you’ll fight with everything you have.”

“Of course… Good night Sucy.”

“Good night Akko.” And with those final words, they each retired to their tents for the night, ready to prepare for tomorrow's coming battle, and for the worst that may follow.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sun rose over the horizon of the fields, reflecting rays of light off of the dew that rested lazily on the grass covered field that would soon play host to the upcoming battle. It was still early in the morning, and yet the air was filled with the sounds of dozens of pairs of boots, all sprinting around, trying their damnedest to get everything ready in time. All but one.

Sitting in her tent, already dressed in her armor sat Diana Cavendish, enjoying a nice cup of tea before the day truly began. The makeshift desk in front of her was covered in files that she had spent the previous two days reading and rereading.

They had gotten reports earlier that week that a small force of troops were heading in this direction, seemingly intending to take the fortification and push farther into their territory. Normally this wouldn't warrant concern as it was a force made up of only two small brigades, barely six thousand soldiers strong. Nothing that would warrant calling her entire division of nearly thirty thousand men and women, a combination of foot soldiers, archers, and knights all the best of their caliber in all of England. Not to mention those that fell outside of her decision that had been put under her command, boosting her own forces even further.

Normally this form of response would never even be considered, let alone enacted. But it seems that the devil is in the details, or in this case, the demon. The reason that they had ushered such a large force to counter is because supposedly the one leading this attack was none other than Atsuko Kagari, the Crimson Demon. Or, at least that's what she had been commonly referred to during this time of war.

Atsuko Kagari, the daughter of the emperor, _Rikugun-Taishō_ -or General, as was the apparent equivalent rank- of the Imperial Heart Corps, and a deadly Onna-bugeisha said to rival even the strongest of her Samurai counterparts. She commanded a force of over fifty thousand, but only ever deployed with one or two battalions under her direct command, a single brigade at most. More often than not she chose to send the rest of her forces to assist where they’re needed, whether that’s acting as reinforcements on other battlefields, assisting in search and rescue for those lost during battles, and even providing relief to areas heavily impacted by the war. 

Diana had heard of her before. She was something of a legend on the battlefield. She moved around frequently, skipping from battle to battle. She most often appeared on battlefields where the imperial army’s defeat had seemed certain, only to overcome nearly insurmountable odds. She would drive them out rapidly and efficiently with only fractions of her forces, preferring to use ingenious tactics and tricks over the brute force of her combined men. As far as Diana could ascertain, only twice had she ever fought with the full force of her allotted troops. But one thing was certain, in all her years of service, from the time she was 12, she had shown herself to be the most formidable opponent you could face in this theater of war. 

It was a record similar to Diana’s own. Which, in hindsight, was probably why she had been sent to halt her advance. But there was something that still didn’t sit right with her. This girl was known for clever strategies and irregular methods of attack, joining battlefields where combat was already in progress. So, why was she marching directly into their territory? And what provoked this reckless attack? 

The war had come to somewhat of a standstill recently, neither front had been able to progress for a number of reasons; a lack of provisional supplies to her side combined with the enemy’s superior understanding and defensive footholds in the region left them unable to advance while their enemies were facing a lack of citizens willing to fight as well as a lack of proper equipment due to artisans protesting the war effort. 

Diana took one last sip of her tea, savoring the earthy flavor as she mentally prepared for the day at hand. Whatever the case may be, what she had to do was the same. She had already devised a defensive strategy and her troops were already readying themselves for the battle. She could only suppose it was time that she join them.

Standing from her makeshift desk she spared one last glance at the files she had been looking over. By this time tomorrow this would all be over, and perhaps… If they managed to secure a victory here, perhaps they could end everything. 

But, that was only wishful thinking. Possible? Yes -heaven knows that both sides were tired of the fighting. But wishful all the less. But there would be time for looking to the future later, for now she had a battle to win. So she gathered up her things -she had elected to keep her sword and shield in her tent least the enemy had arrived early and she needed a weapon on hand. Her helmet would be waiting for her at her mount along with her other weaponry but before readying for battle she had to finalize her strategy with her men. And so she left her temporary abode, heading for the larger tent that had been set up as their makeshift war room.

Inside were Miss England and Miss O'Neil, standing bent over the table in the center and discussing with a few of the older soldiers. They were probably going over the strategy for the upcoming battle. She had already given them the basic details that she had managed to come up with the previous day, but today they would refine the plan, setting everyone who wasn’t already in place to their proper positions with the few hours they had beforehand. 

“I’m telling you!” And of course O’Neil was already shouting. One would think that the early morning hours would put a damper on either her temper or her energy. But it seemed that O’Neil’s hot head rose even earlier and quicker than the sun. “Me and my boys will take the front lines, at the head of the formation.”

She seemed to currently be in a shouting match with Hannah, possibly the only other soldier under Diana’s command with a temper and mouth to match Miss O’Neil’s. “You're an idiot! It’d be best to have our strongest soldiers running the attack force, not you and your uncivilized lot!”

“We _are_ the best soldiers you’ve got!” Amanda shot back her response with fury to equal Hannah’s indignation. “You think you have any men that could match ours in a good bout? I’d like to see them then!”

“Listen here you-”

“ENOUGH!” A hush fell over the room as Diana silenced them. Apparently none had noticed her entering. But still, it seemed that Amanda was quick to recover her wits after the shock of being interrupted.

“Hey Cav, took you long enough to get here.” A cocky smirk spread across her face as Diana approached the table. “What, did you need some more beauty sleep?”

“I was going over a few last reports to properly prepare for the battle at hand. One that you both would do better to focus on more than your petty squabbling.” There was a beat of silence as everyone in attendance shared a few glances between themselves, some ashamed, some not.

Diana waited a moment to see if anyone would speak up, more accurately, she was watching to see if O’Neil had any more smart comments for the moment. But, by some miracle, she kept her tongue. Likely not out of respect, but either way she seemed content to wait for Diana to speak. “Now then. If we may begin now. Hannah?”

“Of course,” Hannah began to place the small figurines out on the map, or more accurately she was replacing the ones that they had moved around during their squabble while they were discussing strategy before her arrival.

Once all of the pieces were in place accurate to their already established plan, Diana began. “Okay, now. The troops that are already in place shall remain as is, we wouldn’t have enough time to move them all if we wanted. As for who will be leading the offensive force, I’ll leave that command to Miss O’Neil and her men.”

“That’s right!”

“WHAT?!”

Hannah and Amanda shouted in unison. One of victory the other of disbelief, but both interrupting Diana. And so both earned the same glare. A silent order to settle down, and both heeded the command. Once both soldiers had quieted down she continued. “Now, as I had been saying. I’ll have you lead the offensive O’Neil, you’ll take your men along with some of our own and face their forces head on. I’m assuming you’ll be able to handle leading the charge?”

“Of course I can Cavendish! My men are Ireland's best! And we’ll give them hell and a half before they even know what hit them.” Amanda’s voice boomed across the inside of the small tent, carrying as much confidence as the Irishwoman had ever shown.

Miss O’Neil, and her men, weren’t actually part of Diana’s own forces. She and her regiment were sent from their allies, to act as support in the war. Amanda had come with her troops seeking more than validation, this war meant more to her than simply a way to prove herself. For Amanda and her men, this was an escape from their normal lives. Amanda herself came from Irish nobility but she made no secret of how much she despised that life, in fact she took every opportunity to bad mouth her family and other Irish of noble blood. 

For Amanda, the silvered tongues and pretentious attitudes were enough to drive her mad. She hated the backstabbing and conniving nature of politics and the elitists that propagated it. Perhaps this is why she was so brazen and open with herself and her opinions. If a thought so much as came to mind she would speak it. Loud and clear for all to hear. And it’s because of this that Diana had trusted her more than most others during her service of the war.

On top of being assertive and clear with her feelings and intentions, Amanda was also extremely clever, a strong leader, and above all else, capable. Diana had very few people who she would trust her life to, and yet Amanda was one of them.

“Very good then.” She turned her attention from Amanda to face the rest of the room. “As for everyone else we’ll go with the strategy we already had in place. England will take charge of defending the medic camp where Parker will see to the wounded and the rest of us will take a defensive stance until we can identify the strategy. There’s only one more thing that I’d like to let you all know.” She waited just a moment to make sure that all eyes and ears were on her, and once sure she began. “This information is technically confidential but I refuse to send my men into battle without knowing their opponent. We have it on good authority that the enemy force is being led by Atsuko Kagari.”

There was just a moment's pause before the tent’s occupants began to murmur and whisper between themselves. But before much could be said Diana gave them the word to move to their stations. She excused herself to begin preparing as well and was met by Amanda as she made her way over to her horse. “Well Cav, seems like this could be the last battle.”

Diana spared a glance to the other woman as she fell in stride beside her. “I wouldn’t get to hopeful O’Neil. There’s still plenty of work to be done, even after the fighting ends.”

“Do you always have to suck the fun out of everything?” Amanda had a brow cocked, but it wasn’t quite the overconfident smirk she was known for. “Anyways… I wanted to thank you. For letting me and my men fight beside you, that is.” 

They arrived at the stables, Diana turning towards Amanda with a grateful smile. It was rare to see the Irishwoman speak so sincerely, so it only seemed right to respond in kind.“Of course Amanda. You may be loud and brash, but you and your men are some of the best I’ve ever seen. I’m honored to fight alongside you.”

“About that…” Diana had been about to turn back to her steed, it had been prepped by squires earlier so that she would be ready to mount up and wait for the enemy. But something about Amanda’s tone had stopped her. “I uh… well I don’t have much good blood with my family back home and I, uh… Oh dammit it all to hell! I want to stay in England after this is all over.”

Now that part caught Diana off guard. She hadn't been expecting something like this from Amanda, and the whole delivery seemed so far off from Amanda’s usual overconfidence that it took her aback for just a moment. But she recovered soon enough to respond. “Well, I can’t give you an exact answer, it’s not for me to decide… But I’d appreciate having another friend around.”

O’Neil seemed disappointed at first, probably from the lack of a proper response, but her normal cocksure soon returned as she left, making her way to her own horse to saddle up, with a last “Good luck out there Cav.”

And so, all that was left was to wait for the enemy to arrive.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was past midday by the time Akko and her troops arrived. They had spent the entire day travelling and decided to set up camp just before the crest of the hill that led to the fortification that would act as the location of their last battle. The only thing that lay between then and then end of everything was a single meal, a few hours rest, and a valley with a small river soon to be flooded with blood. And so Akko sat atop her horse, swords on hip, and yumi resting across the saddle in front of her. Examining her equipment one last time. 

The ropes securing her dō were worn and frayed, well that description could basically describe all of her armor, if they had the materials she would have gotten the armor repaired. It was the same set she had used throughout the larger part of the war effort, and it was one of the few comforts she had on the battlefield. It had served her well through the years, it’s blood red color and monstrous design even being one half of the reasons behind her Crimson Demon moniker. The other half was her red eyes, a gift from Sucy that had served her well in combat.

“Here,” Her view was partially obscured by a brown wooden hilt coming into view. “you should take this, it’ll help you more than me.” Akko tilted her head to the side to find Lotte standing next to her horse. She held out her Naginata, the butt end offered to Akko with a kind yet worried smile. “Your’s was broken in the last battle right? It’ll be more useful if you take it.”

Akko smiled beneath her menpo at the gesture. She reached up and unclasped the face mask on one side so that she could reply normally. “There’s no need for that Lotte,” She gently pushed the offered weapon back towards its owner. “You’ll need it if they attack you while you're treating the wounded.”

Her response was met only with a frown as the smaller woman held the weapon awkwardly in the air, reluctant to accept her refusal. “But I’ll already have Sucy to keep me safe! You need a mounted weapon, and your bow doesn’t count! You’ll run out of arrows before long with the way you fire!”

Lotte was normally a very quiet woman, she had been ever since they had found her. She had originally been a medic from a neutral country, Akko wasn’t entirely sure which one, that had sent to travel place to place with a group of other medics. They went wherever the war swept through, helping out anyone who had been injured in any way. This was how she had met Akko, on one of Akko’s routine relief missions to the outlying territories. 

Originally she hadn’t wanted any part to do with the war, and Akko had respected that. The girl was content healing those in need and had no wish to be on the fields of actual battle. But that changed before their meeting was over. Akko honestly couldn’t recount the whole incident, it had been so jarring at the time. But the gist was that the village they were staying in was attacked during the night by a group of bandits, raiders, whatever you want to call them. They wore armor much better than any stock mugger could afford and used brand new weapons constructed for war. During the raid the majority of Lotte’s companions had been slaughtered and Lotte nearly had been as well, if not for Akko. 

By the time the night was over it had become apparent from the armor that they wore that someone from the opposing side of the war had funded the raiders. Probably to insight chaos. Or perhaps to gain a bit of extra compensation during the war effort. Akko never really found out which was the case but it hardly mattered. Lotte had decided that she couldn’t let the war continue in this way and so she joined Akko, later learning a bit of healing magic from Sucy to help her patients. 

Now she was one of Akko’s closest friends, and one of the best healers in Akko’s company. But despite her caring and calm nature the girl could get well worked up for her friends. And it seemed that she was reluctant to let Akko go off without a proper weapon. 

“Lotte, please. I can take care of myself.”

“But-” 

“AND, I’m not going to leave you nearly defenseless. Sucy’s good but I want you to be able to defend yourself if it comes to it…” Lotte offered no resistance after her attempted interruption. She had probably expected Akko’s response well beforehand.

Akko slid her yumi off her lap and into it’s quiver, the one she had attached to her horse's saddle, and dismounted. Pulling the smaller woman into a firm hug to try and assuage her fears. “Hey, it’ll be fine… Just make sure you save as many as you can, okay?”

Lotte’s arms hung nearly limp at her sides, the naginata dropped and most likely forgotten on the ground next to her. There was only a brief moment of hesitation before she returned the hug, a gentle embrace as they savored these last few moments. 

When she pulled back Akko could tell that she was holding back tears, “Y-yeah… I’ll save every one I can… Just- just please save yourself too…” It wasn’t a question like she had expected, or a command like Sucy had issued. Instead it was a request. A plea to stay alive… 

Akko knew she couldn’t answer that plea in any honest way. So instead she refastened the menpo back into place and offered the cheeriest, most convincing “Of course!” that she could manage. 

“Now, head back to your post, we’ll be starting soon.” And so the two friends parted. 

The rest of their brief respite passed by uneventfully and ever too soon, the battle was upon them. With her men at the ready Akko’s forces crossed over the top of the hill and from their position they could already see their opposition. True to Sucy’s words they were outnumbered greatly, and Akko spared only a moment to issue her final orders. Turning to the soldiers to her left, she spoke “You all know the plan! If you die, die with honor! If you live, live with humility!” 

There was a resounding cheer from her men. This was their end and they were ready to die. And so she began the charge. Leading her forces from the head she brought her horse to a full gallop as she watched the enemy. She didn’t have to look back to make sure her troops were following the strategy, she knew they would, so she had time to study the enemy. 

A large group broke off from their defensive line, charging directly to meet with Akko’s men in the center. But Akko was more concerned with a different matter, archers. Arrows streaked through the air towards them from two groups of soldiers positioned further down the hill than the rest of their forces and off to the sides. They were hiding behind the boulders that dotted the landscape, tall white stones that hit them well enough. Their arrows came in sheets, falling like rain down onto her men. 

Luckily they were far enough away that hitting them would be difficult, and normal arrows wouldn’t be able to pierce their armor from this distance. Unluckily, there were a _lot_ of arrows. Too many arrows. It was with a swift motion that Akko drew her wakizashi, the shorter of her two swords as she found three arrows that would hit her. Normally the only thing to do would be to let the arrows hit, hoping that they didn’t manage to find an armor spot of her armor by some miracle. But that’s what a _normal_ samurai would do. Akko was far from normal. 

The arrows rained down on them, most wheezing by her men without hitting their mark, some hitting horses and skidding off the little armor they had, doing little more than agitating their well trained steeds, though those on foot wouldn’t have to worry about their steed being struck. Of the even fewer that hit a warrior, only one seemed to find any sort of purchase, most streaking off of their armor. Those that were set to hit Akko however, never got the chance. She could already see them, feeling the ever present magic stored in her eyes, she was more than able to predict their trajectories and her sword swung accordingly.

The first arrow sailed directly for her chest, she swung her sword from her hip up. Sparks flew from the connection as her sword met its target. The second arrow would have hit the haidate protecting her thigh, but she was able to bring her sword back down, once again dashing the arrow out of the air with a splash of sparks. The third and final arrow was close behind, far to close for another swing. It was coming in fast and aimed to hit her shoulder, exactly where there were no plates and the protection underneath was weakest. It was a one in one million shot, one that no regular archer could ever make on purpose. But instead of hitting it’s improbable mark, she released the reins she had been holding in one hand and shot the one freed appendage up, faster than the eye could follow to snatch the projectile out of the air. 

With the arrow in hand she quickly returned her sword to it’s saya and replaced its place in her hand with her yumi, knocking the captured arrow and firing it back at the archer who had sent it. Her target hit it’s mark without fail, killing the man and frightening a few of the surrounding archers. 

There were two more volleys of that kind, each one repeating the same course but slightly more effective each time. The arrows grew more deadly as they moved closer, and with each rain of arrows more hit proper marks. Akko repeated her earlier movements, slashing those she could out of the air and catching those too close to dispatch, only to send them right back to them. All the while her own men began taking their own shots at whoever they thought they could hit.

They collided with the opposition before the third volley could be launched, but that didn’t stop the archers from firing. Only now they were just within range enough for them to become a problem. They still couldn’t pierce through their armor for the most part, though that wasn’t quite true for the many soldiers equipped with lesser quality armor, but it was much harder to succeed in a close quarter battle when you would be randomly struck with an arrow from a hundred so meters off. And even then, if an arrow didn’t kill you it could still deal sufficient damage.

It was well into the first leg of the battle that Akko noticed it. Off to the side, farther down the valley, there was a large group of the enemy charging down the river bank, obscured by the chaos of battle and the size of their battlefield. She never would have noticed if not for her eyesight -she would have to thank Sucy properly for these eyes if she ever got the chance. They were trying to slip around to the rear flanks! Akko couldn’t let them get that far, if they managed to make it through the second group then they’d be able to over take the rear guard where the medic stations were set up! 

Akko felt a brief pang of panic before smoothing it down, there would be time for panic later. Besides, this was more or less what she had planned for. She had told Sucy to cut off their advances as much as she could with her magic. It just so happened that they chose the worst place to try and break through. Or had they…

Turning to the closest allies she could spot she called out to them “WITH ME!” and broke off from the main battle, bringing with her a handful of cavalry and whatever fewer foot soldiers that decided to follow behind, to rout the enemy advance. 

It was then that she formed her plan, they had made the choice to make their way along the river because it was the easiest place to slip knights and foot soldiers by unnoticed. But that meant that they would be paying closer attention to the river bank in particular, especially since Sucy had cut off their other choices of advancing. If she could put up a good front then she would be able to draw more of their forces along this path, pulling some of their attention from the other battles. It wouldn’t win them the day but it would give her men a better chance of survival, and that’s all she needed.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“DIANA!” The shout reached Diana’s ears just as she was dispatching another opponent from atop horseback, the end of her sword cleaving into his neck and sending the corpse collapsing to the ground as it desperately attempted to stop the overflow of blood. The yell was barely audible over the sounds of the battlefield but Diana knew that voice anywhere and it took her only a moment to ascertain it’s position. She found Hannah charging towards her on horseback.

“England, what is the matter?!” The battle was well underway now -about an hour and a half had passed by Diana’s estimate- and from what Diana could tell it seemed to be going favorably. Amanda had managed to engage their first wave and keep it mostly contained. Diana was leading the charge further down the battlefield to try and draw their attention away from the river so that their cavalry could slip by and charge up their rear. 

So far she had successfully drawn the attention of their second wave, but the battle here had been chaotic. Apparently they had a witch or two within their forces, wherever she was performing her magic from, Diana couldn’t tell. But it was making the battle all the more confusing when golems of mud began showing up -they weren’t as dangerous as they seemed but it disrupted their formation quite a bit. But despite all of that they had managed to hold the upper hand through sheer numbers. Now if only their cavalry could-

“THE FLANKING PARTY’S BEEN ATTACKED!” England practically shrieked as she approached.

Diana spun in her saddle so fast that her helmet nearly flew off. “What was that!?” The flanking party had been attacked? How had they been seen, who attacked them, had they not been able to defend? A thousand questions spun in Diana’s head. That cavalry unit had been integral to their victory. If they didn’t survive then it would only make this battle all the harder!

Her head was spinning. Diana stopped herself from answering rashly, taking just a moment to compose her breathing. If she lost her focus now then the battle would be lost. She couldn’t afford anything less than perfection. With her thoughts stilled she turned back to Hannah, the knight still making her way towards Diana, flanked by two other mounted soldiers. “What happened?” 

Her voice came out calm and commanding, as expected of a Cavendish. Hannah’s words however, came out panicked and fast. “This soldier has just come from the river bank, he says they were intercepted by the enemy before they could even get halfway down the bank!”

She turned to the woman Hannah had gestured too. She was a young woman, probably around Diana’s age, with flowing red hair. If Diana remembered correctly her name was Bernhardt. A trusty knight from a well known family. She was panting and there was a spark of terror in her eyes, but there was also a bit of something else. It seemed to be a large piece of defiance. “What happened Bernhardt?!” 

Sarah began speaking but barely got a word out before an arrow wised past her, grazing off of her pauldron with an audible shriek and leaving a long dark streak against the normally silver shade of the metal. They turned to see a samurai not too far off, dismounted from his horse with no helmet and blood pouring down his face from a gash in his eye. He knocked another arrow to shoot but before he got a chance, Diana was already upon him with startling speed. She jabbed her lance out, spearing him through the head and killing him instantly before turning back towards her companions. 

“Tell me what happened and make it quick Bernhardt.” Diana called out her order as she made her way back towards Hannah and Sarah. They didn’t have the time to stand around and talk, so they would have to act quickly.

“It was the Crimson Demon!” Ah, so that’s it then. “She caught us off guard with a hand full of soldiers. It was all so quick that we couldn’t organize. The other’s sent me to warn you but I barely made it out.”

Diana didn’t waste a breath. “Sarah you’re with me!” She turned to find the closest cavalry to her that she could, “As are you men! We’ll head that way and engage her. Hannah, head back to the defensive line and send reinforcements our way.”

Her orders were answered with a round of affirmation as Diana turned her horse towards the river bank on the Eastern flank, breaking off in a full gallop with the chosen knights following behind.

The trip there wouldn’t be horribly wrong given where they had been attacked, but there was something that didn’t fit quite right with Diana, and that seemed to be true for Sarah as well. She was hunched forward in her saddle, body language closed off as they galloped. “What’s the matter Bernhardt?” 

There was a beat of silence before she answered. “...She let me go.” That was all she said originally.

“Pardon?” Diana prompted her to continue, slightly fearful of what she would say.

“The Crimson Demon. She let me go. I know it.” Her voice had started out level, almost reflector before raising for the next part. “I saw her looking right at me as I fled! Three of us were sent to get help but the others were killed before we could get more than a couple meters! They were riding to my sides when they were struck through the back by arrows. When I turned to find the archer I saw the Demon. She was looking right at me with those red eyes! And she let me leave.”

Oh, oh no. She was luring them. It made sense now. She had somehow seen their cavalry and had decided to use it to her advantage. Had she worked out their plan? Is that why she had put the witch in their second line? That witch’s golems had made advancing from the far side difficult, and her random clouds of poison made flanking from the western flank more deadly than advantageous. Had she been trying to force this exact situation? But Diana had already formulated this plan well in advance. Perhaps cutting off their advances was only a fail safe to insure their route? 

This was dangerous. Not because of their situation, but because Diana was becoming just a bit excited for this battle. In all her years of service she had never found an equal opponent, not even among her own side’s greatest generals. As the head of the Cavendish family it was her job to protect and serve England, a job that she was well prepared for and well compensated for as well. Diana didn’t care much for the money, as long as it kept her family name afloat she needed little else. 

But sadly there were those who sought that money as well as her name and her house. They came in the form of suitors, those who wish to win her heart as well as her hand. More often then not they would boast and claim that they would do a far better job as the family head, and so Diana had invited them to prove it. Weather with a game of wit, or a test of combat prowess, they had all challenged Diana. And they had all failed. Diana had long since grown so tired of these games that she had stopped participating in them all together under the guise of the war time effort. But now…

To finally have found an opponent to make her truly think, and consider her every move. To finally have a worthy adversary to challenge her was exhilarating. And now, all she could think was that she couldn’t wait to meet this opponent in person.

She wouldn’t have to wait very long. Almost as quickly as she had let herself get lost in her musings had they arrived. The scene that met them, it was truly a horrid sight. 

The river was stained red with the blood of all the fallen. Knights, Samurai, foot soldiers. The river bank was littered with the corpses of all involved in the battle. Well… almost all.

She was the last one standing, doning blood red armor with a pair of golden horns protruding from the top of the helm. There was no mistaking the Crimson Demon. She had no horse, well not any longer. It’s body lay limp on the ground behind her with the shaft of a spear protruding from its neck.

At first she did nothing as they approached, but then Diana felt it. Her eyes, almost glowing now, snapped up to look at the approaching party. But it was too late, they would be on her in seconds now, there was nothing that she could do. Diana had to admit that she was just a bit disappointed, she had hoped for a chance to actually face the woman in combat. It seems she wouldn’t get it… at least, that’s what she had thought.

But as soon as her eyes were on them she drew an arrow from her quiver, Diana hadn’t thought much about the motion, a last ditch attempt to fight. But she realized her mistake quickly. As fast as Atsuko had knocked the first arrow, she loosed and knocked three more.

Diana was able to get her shield up just in time for the arrow to embed itself into the offending barricade. She felt the impact, shock waves traveling from her arm, up her shoulder and burning into. It stung like hell, and there was no doubt that it would leave a giant, dark bruise on her arm.

Her soldiers weren’t as lucky. Arrows streaked through the air, piercing through the armor of her companions and killing two of the right off the back. She didn’t have time to react again before more arrows were loosed from the demon. Faster than Diana could follow the rest of her entourage were dispatched, struck either through the hearts or the eyes by arrows. 

Diana lowered her shield just enough to peek over the top and see her opponent. The demon was staring at her, her bow held up and an arrow knocked. Diana panicked, jerking the shield up again as she braced behind it and ready to feel that same impact. But it never came. Instead she heard a horrible cry from her horse, and a sickening snap of bones. 

Her horse jerked, and Diana was barely able to free herself from her saddle before her steed crumpled beneath her. She was sent tumbling to the ground, rushing to right herself from the fall. The Demon would continue firing, Diana was certain. If her arrows could pierce their armour then they must be tipped with hardened steel, meaning that at this distance she absolutely couldn’t afford to get hit. Now that she was unmounted, she'd have to find a way to get close, force her into melee combat where Diana would have the advantage.

She expected another arrow, she braced herself for another arrow, bringing her shield up to cover her. But it seemed that the gods were on her side. When the final shot never came she looked up, finding her enemy making her way towards her slowly, detaching the now empty quiver from her belt and having placed her bow gently on the ground.

“My name is Kagari, Atsuko, daughter of Emperor Kagari, Hitomu. Rikugun-Taishō in command of the Imperial Hearts Corps. I have triumphed in many battles during this war, and do not wish to name them all.” She advanced slowly towards Diana as she spoke, one of her hands listing lazily to her side as the other held the scabbard of one of her swords. Her words came out loud and confident as she spoke. But Diana was more distracted by her voice, it was beautiful, Diana would even liken it to silk caressing the skin. 

But Diana couldn’t let herself be distracted at the moment. So instead she stood. Facing her opponent as she came to a stop about five meters away from Diana. “My name is Diana Cavendish, daughter of Bernadette Cavendish, descendant of Beatrix Cavendish. I have fought my fair share of battles as well, and I do not see the need to name them all either.”

This gained a slight, inquisitive turn of the head from Atsuko. “You don’t wish to claim your victories? I would have thought that such a well known Knight would seek more pride in this battle.”

“I seek no pride in battle.” Diana uttered her rebuttal before she even thought the words. Normally this is where the conversation would have ended, hell, normally the conversation would have ended after listing their names and titles along with any victories. But Diana found herself drawn to this woman, she wished to speak more. And more than anything, she wished to understand her. “Is that the reason behind this brazen attack? Is this whole battle a bid for glory?”

Atsuko was silent for a moment, so much so that Diana thought she might be correct. “Glory? No, I couldn’t care less about glory…”

The woman turned her head slightly, glancing off to the side towards the main battle. “Then what, may I ask, is the reason behind this offensive?”

Her question was met with silence once again, but it lasted only a moment. “I want to end it all. This war has drawn on long enough, and I wish to put an end to it.”

“You seek peace then? And you do so by picking a fight with the other side? I don’t understand.” Why would she attack if she wanted to **end** the war. Perhaps, there was some caveat, some circumstance she was unaware of?

“... It does not matter. By day’s end the war should be over. It is my only goal with this battle.” She turned back to Diana, pulling her sword from its sheath and holding it in a guard position, it’s hilt over her head and the blade point facing down towards the ground.

Diana pulled her own sword from it’s place on her belt, holding her shield up to defend herself. “You’re rather confident then. Well I suppose I’ll have to prove you wrong. It’s such a pity that I am forced to face one who sounds so lovely, I wish we could have met under different circumstances.” Diana had no idea what led her to say the second part, but after all, it was true. She wished to know more about this woman. But perhaps, it wasn’t meant to be.

There were no more words as Atsuko charged her, bringing her sword down to slash at her front. Diana was able to bring her shield up, feeling the familiar sting in her arm as the woman brought the sword down in a powerful strike. The sword deflected off the shield and Diana prepared for a counter but Atsuko was faster, swinging back up with equal ferocity to the first swing. Once again she managed to block the strike, not waiting to counter this time. 

Instead she grabbed the blade of her own sword with the opposite hand, swinging with as much force as she could muster and striking Atsuko in the side of her helmet with the guard of her sword. The hit landed as Atsuko went in for another swing, the contact sending out a reverberating bang as it left a large dent in the helmet, setting it off kilter with the force of the strike and sending Atsuko backpedaling.

It was the perfect time to strike, Diana could push her advantage and end the fight quickly! But as she took a step forward to advance, a shooting pain streaked up her leg, causing the appendage to give out as she caught herself with the edge of her shield. Atsuko grabbed at her helmet, ripping the piece of armor off so that she could properly face her opponent, while Diana looked down to her leg. There was blood running down the outside of her greaves. There was a large slash in the fabric between her cuisses and the greave. When had she been hit? Was it… when Diana had landed her hit, Atsuko had been mid swing, she must have redirected her strike.

“How much do you know of my people?” Diana looked up from examining her injury to glance at Atsuko. She had fully removed her, now nearly destroyed helm, and Diana could see how truly beautiful she was. Instead of answering Diana pushed herself up, testing with putting pressure on her leg. Now that she was prepared for it the pain was manageable, she could still fight.

When Diana gave no response, Atsuko continued. “ When I was young, my father told me something that I’ve kept to heart throughout every battle I’ve ever fought…” 

There was a moment of pause as, and now Diana was too curious. She removed her helm for just a moment so that she could ask properly. “May I know... what he told you?”

Atsuko regarded her face for a moment, eyes seeking something in her. And eventually she smiled. “He told me, ‘a battle between two equals, means offering your life to them’... With this battle I offer you my life.” She raised her blade to her opponent, pointing towards Diana with the tip. “If you are able to best me then you can do with it as you please. But if I win, your life shall be mine, to back out now would bring shame to either of our houses.”

Diana regarded her a moment more before placing her helmet back on her head. “Then I shall take your life for my own. I warn you, I will not lose here.”

Atsuko said nothing more, instead she brought her sword back up and lunged at Diana. The battle this time was ferocious on both ends. Atsuko slashed and hacked at Diana with fever, a combination of attacks that Diana struggled to keep up with, but she was able to hold her own, blocking with her shield where she could and redirecting with her sword when necessary. She needed an opening.

Atsukoo would slash down with her sword, all her weight bearing down as Diana brought her shield up and braced it with the hand holding her own sword. The two clashed, Atsuko’s blade bouncing off the shield, Diana would take the chance to stab, thrusting the blade right at her rib cage, her sword slicing ever so slightly into the leather material before glancing off the inner metal plating and traveling up, cutting into the underside of Atsuko’s bicep ever so slightly. 

At the same time Atsuko dropped one of her hands down, grabbing the hilt of her second word before slashing upwards with it. Diana barely managed to pull back as the sword swung up, catching her just through the t-shaped opening that acted as a visor. 

Diana responded by slamming the edge of her shield into Atsuko’s front, pushing her back so that she could get a breath.

But Atusko didn’t seem keen to give her one. She wouldn’t give up her assault, slashing and jabbing with her sword as she expertly danced around Diana, trying to poke through her defenses and even the few times Diana would try to counter attack. 

Diana was struggling, so was Atsuko. Both had blood in their eyes now, Diana’s from the slash across her face that Atsuko had given her, Atsuko’s from when Diana had bashed her on the head at the beginning of the battle.

The battle continued in the fashion but then it happened, Diana had thought she saw an opening. It was at a point where Atsuko was coming down for an overhead slash. Diana blocked similarly to before but this time she pushed back with as much force as she could manage, sending Atsuko stumbling as she bashed the shield into her. She had made an opening, but she needed to make sure that she used this chance to its fullest. 

Sadly, she couldn’t just slash through her armor, her sword couldn’t cut through the metal plates. But luckily, she had noticed something. Her armor was worn, badly. She had known that they didn’t have any way to repair their equipment with all the leather workers and blacksmiths refusing to assist them. But she hadn’t thought much about it until now. Atsuko’s armor was in dire need of repair, it’s probably the only reason she had been able to dent her helmet enough to obscure her vision. But what Diana noticed the most were the frayed ropes that held the cuirass secured in place. If she could cut them, then perhaps she could get in the winning strike. She’d have to be quick. Atsuko’s attacks were fast and relentless, perhaps this wasn’t the best plan but it was the only one she had.

She lunged after the back peddling form of Atsuko’s body, thrusting with her sword she put as much care into properly aiming as she could. Luckily, her aim was true. Well, as true as it could be. It seemed that Atsuko had realized her plan and tried to dodge out of the way. Luckily she still sliced through one of the ropes enough that the whole cuirass section of the armor fell slack just a bit. But that was all she needed.

Atsuko threw caution to the wind, she knew that it was over but her pride wouldn’t give in so easily. With a shout, she lunged at Diana, thrusting her sword out as Diana slashed down. Atsuko’s sword found purchase in a particularly weak link in the chain mail covering her sides, slashing into her ribs quite a bit as the already weakened chain split open. The gash wasn’t too horrible. No where near fatal. And not quite as bad as Atsuko’s injury. Diana’s attack had caught her collarbone, the very force behind the swing ripping the cuirass from the front of her body and slashing deep into her front. The gash started on the right side of her collarbone and traveled across her front, ending just below her rib cage on the left.

Atsuko stumbled, sword going limp in her hand as she fell to her knees and then onto her back. She wasn’t even bothering to hold the wound, accepting her fate as blood poured from the injury.

She closed her eyes, begging to drift off for what she assumed would be her last moments. But then, she felt a pressure on her shoulders, lifting her momentarily just to lay her back down, her head resting on something. She could feel the edge of something hard and cold, before transitioning to something warm and soft. Opening her eyes, she found Diana hovering over her. The woman had removed her helmet, revealing the nasty slash that Atsuko had given her, a red trail leading from her chin and running up, across her eye -though the eye itself didn’t seem damaged- and onto her forehead. 

She was stroking a hand gently through her now let down hair. A gentle look in her eyes. She didn’t say anything. Almost as if she were giving Akko a moment to gather her own thoughts. Though Akko was a bit caught up in how gorgeous the woman was. She had noticed it earlier, when Diana had first taken off her helmet. But know that she could get an up close look, without chain mail keeping her hair hidden, she found her breath stolen… or it could have been the giant gash in her chest, who knew.

Finally, Akko spoke. “This will end the war…”

Diana regarded her with gentle eyes, before looking down to examine the wound she herself had inflicted. “How so?”

“...My father, he can’t sign the treaty by himself… The Shogun won’t let him… not while he still thinks we can win.” Akko found her breath labored now, she was having a harder time speaking, and barely noticed as Diana wrapped a cloth -she had taken it from the saddle of a nearby horse- tightly around her torso. “With this, they'll have to admit that we can’t win.”

“And you think that your death alone is important enough to end this whole war. That’s a bit conceited isn’t it?” there was no malice in her voice as she finished carefully finding the makeshift bandages. Reinforcements would be here any second.

“What can I say… I’m pretty hot stuff.” she finished her statement with a smirk and by wiggling her eyebrows.

This made Diana laugh. Partly from surprise and partly because of how ridiculous it was. “What are you doing?” she asked between a fit of giggles.

“I’m trying to flirt with a pretty woman before I die. Isn’t it obvious?” Akko smiled as she responded. She felt her eyes grow heavier before continuing. “Earlier, you said that you wished we had met differently. I do too.”

Akko reached a hand up, to weakly hold one of Diana’s. “I’ve heard of you before, how kind you are to those you capture, how respectful you are to the people in territories that you occupied. This fighting needs to end.”

Diana stared at her for a moment, searching her eyes for something, “You… you really shouldn’t give up so easily. I also think that this fighting needs to end, but I think that the world would only be worse if you had to die for it.”

“I can’t go back… Returning now would mean bringing shame on my father. The best I can do is die here and end this for good… My younger brother will take over as the next emperor and with this loss the Shogun will lose enough power that my father can start to… reinstate his own control over the military. It’s best this way.”

Diana continued holding her hand as she heard the sound of horses approaching in the distance. Help this would all be over soon. “I wasn't lying though... I wish I could have met you… well not here.” She let out a little chuckle before continuing. “I wish I could have spent more time with you. It may seem a bit cheesy but you're probably the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met, and I wish I could have gotten to know you a bit more.”

She had to stop, forced to try and catch her breath as it became harder. “But I’m glad you're the one who beat me, I’m glad I gave my life to you in the end.”

Diana reached out at this, cupping her cheek in one hand and gently grasping her hand in the other. “This doesn’t have to be then end though. Your injury can be treated, and you needn’t return home if you don’t wish to… You can come with me.” She lifted the captured hand and placed a gentle kiss to the back of it. “Please? It doesn’t have to be just a wish…”

There was surprise in Akko’s eyes. And then a soft smile as she relaxed just a bit into her arms. In all honesty, Diana didn’t know what had come over her. This woman was her enemy, she was the daughter of the emperor, she had killed her men. But then, Diana couldn’t help it. She could see it in Akko’s eyes, that hidden sadness deep beneath the surface. She wanted to help her.

“Well… I gave my life to you. You may do with it as you please.” Akko’s response was short, and now Diana could hear the reinforcement almost right behind her.

“I want you to live it, and if you find me suitable, I’d like to live it with you…”

Akko smiled, that was her simple response as the reinforcements arrived. She was taken back to their camp, along with a handful of the surviving men they had found in the area. A few of those that had rode with Diana had managed to survive by some miracle. For her part Diana would head back to the camp as well to get patched up and make sure that Akko was seen too. And then, she would return to the battlefield. And after six long hours, Diana would claim victory. 

**Author's Note:**

> The names the Shmehua1 recommended are; UNSOLVED MYSTERIES, THE GOOD CHRISTIAN LESBIAN FIC, and The Curly Green AU.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you've enjoyed! I had no beta for this and it probably showed!


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